Relevant Legislation
Labour Protection Act, B.E. 2541 (1998)7
Minimum Age of Employment
The minimum age for employing a child is 15 years [Section 44]. Children between the ages of 13 and 15 are permitted to perform light work.
Working Hours
An employer is required to give a child employee a rest period of one hour for every four hours he or she has worked [Section 46]. An employer should not ask a child employee below 18 years of age to work overtime or on holidays [Section 48]. Additionally, children are not permitted to work at night between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am, unless special permission is granted by the Director-General [Section 47].
Types of Work Prohibited
Pursuant to Section 49, children below the age of 18 years are prohibited from performing dangerous work such as rolling and stamping metal, or work dealing with unsafe chemicals and poisonous microorganisms. Children below the age of 18 years are also strictly prohibited from working in certain establishments, such as gambling centres, slaughterhouses, dance clubs, or venues where liquor is served.
Additional Protective Measures
Where a child under the age of 18 years has been employed, the employer must: ‘notify the labour inspector within 15 days of the date when the child commences work, prepare a record of employment conditions that should be kept on the premises, and notify the labour inspector in the case of the dismissal of a child employee within seven days of termination of employment’ [Section 45].
Endnotes
7 Thai Labour Protection Act, 1998, available at http://www.thailawonline.com/th/thailaws/ laws-of-thailand/105-labor-protection-act-be-2541-1998-.html (accessed 25/05/11).
